what if?
by fear the unknown
Summary: ErnieHermione. —What if he was just a little sooner?


**A/N: I really needed to re-write this story. I am going to make it longer and probably more detailed. In my old draft, I misspelled Ernie's last name. I must be crazy because I knew how to spell the name. By the way, the actor who plays Ernie Macmillan (Louis Doyle) is hot.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The Yule Ball is property of J. K. Rowling and Albus Dumbldore.**

* * *

Ernie Macmillan was sitting in the Hufflepuff common room with his friends Justin and Hannah. They were calling out his name as he stared forward, almost in a trance. Ernie thought of a girl: Hermione Granger. The only interaction he had ever had with her was in Muggle Studies last year. She had dropped her books and he went to help her, being the only one there at the time. She thanked him and went on her way back to the Gryffindor common room. He had found himself staring after her.

The Yule Ball was coming up and Ernie found himself wanting to ask Hermione. He was frightened that if she had a date, she would turn him down but he found himself scared of that thought. He knew the answer he was going to get, though. No. Like always.

He pushed himself of the couch and then made his way out of the common room, ignoring the questioning glances from his friends. Ernie made his way to the library to where Hermione was sitting. She had a large book in her hands and he smiled as he read the title.

"_Hogwarts, A History_?" he asked her.

Hermione jumped a little at his voice. She looked around and then her eyes landed on him. She smiled and Ernie sat down by her. An awkward silence came and Ernie sifted uncomfortably in the chair as Hermione read more of her book. He looked at her. She sensed his eyes on her's and then asked, "Is there anything I can help you with Ernie?"

"Yeah." Ernie pulled at the coller on his shirt. "I was wondering. Do you have a date to the Yule Ball yet? Because I wanted you to come with me." His voice came out in a croak. He mentally slapped himself.

Hermione didn't answer right away. Ernie knew what this meant. His father and mother explained that he would be turned down sooner or later. He had chosen later. Hermione looked at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I already have a date. He asked me yesterday in here. I said yes," Hermione told him.

Ernie simply nodded, muttering ''Of course you do", and then walked out of the library. He felt anger to the person who had asked her and embarrassment to asking her and being turned down. He knew what he had to do. He had to fight. This was the beginning of a war. He shall win her heart. He shall fight.

* * *

The common room was silent when Ernie walked down. Everyone had gone to the Yule Ball. Justin and Hannah went as friends, asking him if he wanted to come too. Maybe he could get a dance with Hermione, they told him. The only person in the common room was Zacharias Smith, and he was sleeping on the chair. Ernie rolled his eyes as his dorm-mate woke up, shaking his head.

"Hey, Zacharias," Ernie said to him, moving to the couch.

"Hey, Ernie," Zacharias told him back, his voice full of sleep. He got up and rubbed his eyes. "No date either, huh?"

"No date." Ernie hadn't told Wayne of Zacharias of his attempt to ask Hermione. They only thought she was a book worm. The only people that knew where Hannah, Justin, and Hermione herself. He had an aching thought that Ginny Weasley knew because she would look at him knowingly in the Great Hall.

"Didn't ask anyone? I asked a Ravenclaw girl named Alice. I don't ..."

Ernie lost him after that. He nodded yes in some places but other than that, he just thought about Hermione. What would she be wearing? Who was her date? Was he older or younger or her age? Did she fancy her date? What if Cedric asked her? He said he had a small crush on her in his third year. Did he go with Cho or Hermione? What if Hermione went with Ron or Harry or one of the Weasley Twins? Would she had said yes if she wasn't asked before?

The questions would probably never be answered. He heard an annoying voice and realized it was Zacharias. "Are you even listening? Nevermind, I know you weren't. So, who did you ask? Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff? I'll guess if you make me."

"She's in Gryffindor," Ernie muttered.

Zacharias nodded. "Ginny Weasley? No, okay. Lavender Brown? No, she's going with Seamus Finnigan. Padma Patil? No wait, she's in Ravenclaw. Hermione Granger?"

Ernie froze and then said, "Yes. But apparently she already had a date."

"Well yeah. Lavender Brown told Seamus Finnigan that she knew Hermione was going with Viktor Krum. Seamus told me. Didn't know?"

"No. Why did _he_ask her?" Ernie was suddenly angry. He knew she was asked, but not by that Viktor Krum guy.

"Maybe it's because he likes her," Zacharias said sarcastically.

Ernie shook his head and walked to wear the Great Hall was. It didn't matter to him that he was in his school uniform; not a dress robe like it was going to be.

* * *

After searching for a while, Ernie found Hermione. She hadn't been in the Yule Ball. Ernie found Justin and Hannah and asked them. Justin said she and Ron Weasley had had a fight and then she stormed out. No one knew where she was. He looked around for a good hour and then found her, sitting on the floor in one of the corridors.

She was crying, her hands covering her face. He could see that her hair was falling down and frizzing out. She must have done something to it, he thought. Her blue dress was wrinkled, he guessed from running to find a place to cry.

Ernie approached her slowly. He sat down beside her and---when she didn't move her hands----said, "What happened? Why are you crying?"

Hermione didn't jump at his voice like she did in the library. She just shook her head. Ernie noticed she stopped crying. He pulled Hermione in for a hug and was happy when she excepted. He felt her head go into his shoulder and then Hermione's voice say, "I should have gone with you."

Ernie was overcome with happiness but asked, "Why? What happened?"

Hermione pulled out of the comforting hug and tried to explain. "Well, Viktor Krum asked me. I went with him and everything was fine until I went to talk to Ron and Harry. Ronald said I was fraternizing with the enemy. I yelled at him and then we got into this huge fight. I came out her to cry. I haven't talked to him about it yet. I doubt he would have been mad if I came with you. Well, maybe. You're in Hufflpuff and Cedric is in Hufflpuff. Cedric is in the Tournament. I don't know."

Ernie nodded and then did something he never would have done in any other situation. He kissed her. She kissed back.


End file.
